Sunday, January 18, 2009

It's not strange for our cat to just take off and disappear for a couple of days in a row, but he's been gone for a whole week now and I'm starting to fear the worst. He settled into like on the farm so well, picked up weight, calmed down, became affectionate and now he's just gone.

My bed is empty, that warm spot left behind after one of his naps no longer there.

I've imagined hearing his little bell a couple of times and stormed outside calling him checking all the doors and windows, only to find ..... nothing.

I don't think I'll be able to convince Brad any time soon to get another cat, and the fact that I'm sad about him is strange to everyone else in my home so I decided to write about it and at least share it with someone, anyone.

In the mean time I'm finding house training the puppy to be harder than potty training the kids.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

So, as I mentioned Monday was B day - as in Back to school and Back to work after 2 weeks of holidays. I got up early on Monday to take the dog out for her business, a job a dislike under normal circumstance, never mind in the cold and dark. The moment I opened the door I knew this was not going to be a normal Monday morning. The whole entire world was covered in a thick white blanket of snow. Needless to day, Lulu did not like the idea of going out in the snow to do her business, in fact she refused and the moment she was taken back inside rewarded me by doing it in the kitchen.

Telling the kids that there was snow outside helped with getting them up. And we manged to be ready on time. Lulu had to go into town with Brad as we could not leave her home alone all day, as much for her sanity and ours. So there we were all 4 bundled into the van with an extra blanket for the kids to sit under and Lulu, only we didn't move. Brad tried for quite some time, to drive out but we ended up side ways in the drive way. We couldn't revers out or drive out forward. We would just move about a meter in either direction and then just spin the tires (and we have snow tires on the van).

So after trying to get out for about 20 min we called it a day and moved back inside. I called my boss who guess why I was calling the moment I mentioned having a slight problem and called my dad to call the kids school.

We spent the day sitting in front of the fire drinking hot chocolate, watching DVDs. I took the kids out to build a snowman but Rourke was not too interested saying that it was too cold outside. Riley didn't much care for my snowman and would not even let me take a photo of her next to it.

O and the polar bears, yeah Rourke spotted these fluffy white things walking around in the field next to the house and decided that they were polar bears and no matter much many times his sister screamed at him that they were just sheep he did not want to believe her.

It's been a whole week now since it snowed and everything is sill covered in a think white blanket. This has been the coldest winter in something like 20 years in Belgium with some places reaching -20°C . Even this morning when I took Lulu out again it was -11°C. But they promise that it would start warming up by the end of the week, by then we should reach +1°C

So, as I mentioned Monday was B day - as in Back to school and Back to work after 2 weeks of holidays. I got up early on Monday to take the dog out for her business, a job a dislike under normal surcomsance, never mind in the cold and dark. The moment I opended the door I knew this was not going to be a normal Monday morning. The whole entire world was covered in a thick white blanket of snow. Needless to day, Lulu did not like the idea of going out in the snow to do her business, in fact she refused and the moment she was taken back inside rewarded me by doing it in the kitchen.

Telling the kids that there was snow outside helped with getting them up. And we manged to be ready on time. Lulu had to go into town with Brad as we could not leave her home alone all day, as much for her sanity and ours. So there we were all 4 bundeled into the van with an extra blanket for the kids to sit under and Lulu, only we didn't move. Brad tried for quite some time, to drive out but we ended up side ways in the drive way. We couldn't revers out or drive out forward. We would just move about a meter in either direction and then just spin the tires (and we have snow tires on the van).

So afer trying to get out for about 20 min we called it a day and moved back inside. I called my boss who guess why I was calling the moment I mentiond having a slight problem and called my dad to call the kids school.

We spent the day sitting infront of the fire drinking hot chocolate, watching dvd's. I took the kids out to build a snowman but Rourke was not too interested saying that it was too cold outside. Riley didn't much care for my snowman and would not even let me take a photo of her next to it.

O and the polar bears, yeah Rourke spotted these fluffy white things walking around in the field next to the house and decided that they were polar bears and no matter much many times his sister screamed at him that they were just sheep he did not want to believe her.

It's been a whole week now since it snowed and everything is sill covered in a think white blanket. This has been the coldest winter in something like 20 years in Belgium with some places reaching -20°C . Even this morning when I took Lulu out again it was -11°C. But they promise that it would start warming up by the end of the week, by then we should reach +1°C

Friday, January 2, 2009

Well that's it folks the holidays are over, ok we still have the weekend but today is the last work/school day that we are off. It's hard to believe how quickly the past 2 weeks have passed. We've got some friends/family coming to stay over for the weekend, meaning it will be a busy one.

We didn't do anything special or go anywhere special. Brad was working up until the 24th and went back to work on the 27th. At least he's been off a couple of days (went back to work today). It's been really cold here, in fact I'm watching snowflake's gently fall down to the earth at the moment. So we did what should be done during cold winter days....we slept and watched tv and drank coffee (no don't worry didn't give the kids any of that). We did have a great New Years party at The Bok, only got home after 7 yesterday morning. My parents went out for the day so we played tag watching the kids for ½ the day while the other one/two (Cliff is still visiting us) slept.

There has been one big change to our family though, we got a dog.(photo's to follow later) She's a boxer puppy named Lulu (Riley picked the name). Lulu loves Rourke and follows him everywhere, they spend ages running around the house chasing each other. Riley loves her in theory, but only when she's sleeping and not chewing her papers.

O'Mally is not to sure about this new addition and is dealing with it by staying upstairs sleeping in my room most of the day. Only to come down at night since the puppy has to sleep in our room. I feel as though I've got another child in the house what with having to get up and take her out several times a night.